Determining the cause of a fault in an hvac system

ABSTRACT

Devices, methods, and systems for determining the cause of a fault in a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system are described herein. One device includes a memory, and a processor configured to execute executable instructions stored in the memory to receive operational data associated with an HVAC system, receive control logic associated with a controller of the HVAC system, determine a cause of a fault occurring in the HVAC system based, at least in part, on the operational data associated with the HVAC system and the control logic of the controller of the HVAC system, and provide the cause of the fault occurring in the HVAC system to a user.

This is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/709,002, filed Sep. 19, 2017, which is incorporated herein byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to devices, methods, andsystems for determining the cause of a fault in an HVAC system.

BACKGROUND

A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can be usedto control the environment within a facility (e.g., building). Forexample, an HVAC system can include a number of components (e.g.,equipment, sensors, operating panels, controllers, actuators, etc.) thatcan be used to control the air temperature of different zones (e.g.,rooms, areas, spaces, and/or floors) of a facility, in order to keep thezones in a comfort state for their occupants.

During operation of an HVAC system, however, faults in the HVAC system(e.g., in different components of the HVAC system) may sometimes occur.Detecting and correcting faults in the HVAC system can be important toprovide a comfortable environment for the occupants of the facility, toprevent the fault from causing further damage to the HVAC system, and/orto avoid inefficient operation of the HVAC system which may result inhigher energy consumption, for example.

In order to effectively correct a fault in an HVAC system, the cause ofthe fault must first be determined. However, determining the cause of afault occurring in an HVAC system, and then correcting the fault, can bea difficult, costly, and/or time consuming process. For instance, insome previous approaches, a technician may have to travel to (e.g., bephysically present at) the facility in order to determine the cause of afault and correct the fault. Further, because of the complexity of HVACsystems, in some instances the cause of the fault may be at a differentlocation in the facility than where the fault appears to be occurring(e.g., at a different location than where the effects of the fault maybe being felt).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a system for determining the cause of afault in an HVAC system in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a logical mapping between input pointsand an output point of a controller in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

FIGS. 3A-3C illustrate example screen shots displayed during adetermination of a cause of a fault in an HVAC system in accordance withan embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a computing device for determining thecause of a fault in an HVAC system in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Devices, methods, and systems for determining the cause of a fault in aheating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system are describedherein. For example, an embodiment includes a memory, and a processorconfigured to execute executable instructions stored in the memory toreceive operational data associated with an HVAC system, receive controllogic associated with a controller of the HVAC system, determine a causeof a fault occurring in the HVAC system based, at least in part, on theoperational data associated with the HVAC system and the control logicof the controller of the HVAC system, and provide the cause of the faultoccurring in the HVAC system to a user.

Embodiments of the present disclosure can be used to determine the cause(e.g., the root cause) of a fault occurring in an HVAC system, andcorrect the fault, in an easier, cheaper, and/or less time consumingmanner than previous approaches. For example, in embodiments of thepresent disclosure, a technician may not have to travel to (e.g., maynot have to be physically present at) a facility in order to determinethe cause of a fault occurring in an HVAC system of the facility and/orcorrect the fault. Rather, embodiments of the present disclosure canallow the technician to determine the cause of the fault, and/or correctthe fault, remotely.

As an additional example, embodiments of the present disclosure can beused to automatically (e.g., without user input or intervention)determine the cause of a fault and/or correct the fault, which mayreduce or eliminate the need for a technician to do so. Further,embodiments of the present disclosure can quickly and effectivelydetermine the cause of a fault occurring in an HVAC system even when thecause of the fault is at a different location in the facility than wherethe fault appears to be occurring (e.g., at a different location thanwhere the effects of the fault may be being felt).

As an additional example, embodiments of the present disclosure can beused to provide a recommendation (e.g., to the technician) on how tocorrect a fault occurring in an HVAC system in the most optimized (e.g.,cheapest and/or quickest) way possible. Further, embodiments of thepresent disclosure may be used to predict faults that may occur in thefuture, so that they may be corrected (e.g., prevented) before theyactually occur. Further, embodiments of the present disclosure mayreduce and/or eliminate false alarms, thereby allowing the technician toavoid wasting time on false alarms.

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings that form a part hereof. The drawings show by wayof illustration how one or more embodiments of the disclosure may bepracticed.

These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those ofordinary skill in the art to practice one or more embodiments of thisdisclosure. It is to be understood that other embodiments may beutilized and that mechanical, electrical, and/or process changes may bemade without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

As will be appreciated, elements shown in the various embodiments hereincan be added, exchanged, combined, and/or eliminated so as to provide anumber of additional embodiments of the present disclosure. Theproportion and the relative scale of the elements provided in thefigures are intended to illustrate the embodiments of the presentdisclosure, and should not be taken in a limiting sense.

The figures herein follow a numbering convention in which the firstdigit or digits correspond to the drawing figure number and theremaining digits identify an element or component in the drawing.Similar elements or components between different figures may beidentified by the use of similar digits. For example, 108 may referenceelement “08” in FIG. 1, and a similar element may be referenced as 408in FIG. 4.

As used herein, “a” or “a number of” something can refer to one or moresuch things, while “a plurality of” something can refer to more than onesuch things. For example, “a number of faults” can refer to one or morefaults, while “a plurality of faults” can refer to more than one fault.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a system 100 for determining the causeof a fault in an HVAC system in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure. The HVAC system can be, for example, the HVAC systemof a facility (e.g., building), such as, for instance, a commercialoffice building. However, embodiments of the present disclosure are notlimited to a particular type of facility.

The HVAC system can be used to control the environment within thefacility. For example, the HVAC system can include a number ofcomponents that can be used to control the air temperature of differentzones (e.g., rooms, areas, spaces, and/or floors) of a facility, inorder to keep the zones in a comfort state for their occupants. Thecomponents of the HVAC system can include, for example, objects, controlcomponents (e.g., controllers), equipment, devices, networks, sensors,and/or actuators such as, for instance, valves such as heating and/orcooling valves, chillers (e.g., chiller plant), boilers (e.g., boilerplant), pumps such as hot water and/or chilled water pumps, fans,compressors, air dampers such as variable air volume (VAV) dampers, airhandling units (AHUs) (e.g., AHU plant), coils such as heating and/orcooling coils, air filters, and/or cooling towers, among othercomponents. The HVAC system may also include connections (e.g., physicalconnections) between the components, such as a chain of equipment (e.g.,duct work, pipes, ventilation, and/or electrical and/or gas distributionequipment) that connects the components, among other connections.

Further, the HVAC system can include (e.g., be divided into) a number ofzones. The zones of the HVAC system can correspond to the zones of thefacility, for example.

As shown in FIG. 1, system 100 can include a controller 102. Controller102 can be, for example, a controller of the HVAC system of thefacility. For example, controller 102 can be used to check and/or setthe state of the components, component connections, and/or zones of theHVAC system. Although one controller is illustrated in FIG. 1,embodiments of the present disclosure are not so limited (e.g., system100 and/or the HVAC system can include a number of controllers analogousto controller 102).

Controller 102 can collect data, such as, for instance, real-timeoperational data, associated with the HVAC system. For example,controller 102 can receive the data from the components of the HVACsystem. Such data can include, for instance, current quantities,statuses, and/or properties of the components, component connections,and/or zones of the HVAC system.

As shown in FIG. 1, system 100 can include a computing device 108.Computing device 108 can be part of a centralized analytics service(e.g., servers and/or databases) that is located remotely from the HVACsystem and/or controller 102, and will be further described herein(e.g., in connection with FIG. 4).

As shown in FIG. 1, controller 102 can send (e.g., push) the collecteddata to computing device 108 via network 106 (e.g., computing device 108can receive the data from controller 102 via network 106). Network 114can be a wired or wireless network. For example, network 106 can be anetwork relationship through which computing device 108 and controller102 can communicate. Examples of such a network relationship can includea distributed computing environment (e.g., a cloud computingenvironment), a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, a localarea network (LAN), a personal area network (PAN), a campus area network(CAN), or metropolitan area network (MAN), among other types of networkrelationships. For instance, the network can include a number of serversthat receive the data collected by controller 102, and transmit thereceived data to computing device 108 via a wired or wireless network.

As used herein, a “network” can provide a communication system thatdirectly or indirectly links two or more computers and/or peripheraldevices and allows users to access resources on other computing devicesand exchange messages with other users. A network can allow users toshare resources on their own systems with other network users and toaccess information on centrally located systems or on systems that arelocated at remote locations. For example, a network can tie a number ofcomputing devices together to form a distributed control network (e.g.,cloud).

A network may provide connections to the Internet and/or to the networksof other entities (e.g., organizations, institutions, etc.). Users mayinteract with network-enabled software applications to make a networkrequest, such as to get a file or print on a network printer.

Applications may also communicate with network management software,which can interact with network hardware to transmit information betweendevices on the network.

As shown in FIG. 1, system 100 can include a commissioning device 104.Commissioning device 104 can be, for example, an engineering tool used(e.g., by an engineer) during commissioning of (e.g., to install and/orconfigure) the HVAC system. For instance, commissioning device 104 maybe used to configure control logic associated with (e.g., for)controller 102, such as control logic associated with the input points(e.g., input variables) and output points (e.g., output variables) ofcontroller 102.

For example, the control logic associated with controller 102 caninclude a logical mapping between the input points of controller 102 andeach respective output point of controller 102. This logical mapping canprovide an indication of (e.g., identify) which input point or points ofcontroller 102 affect each respective output point of controller 102. Asused herein, an input point affects an output point if an adjustment(e.g., change) made to that input point (e.g., to the value of thatinput point) may result, either directly or indirectly, in a change tothat output point (e.g. to the value of that output point). Forinstance, an input point indirectly affects an output point if theadjustment to that input point results in a change to an interveninginput and/or output point(s), which then results in a change to thatoutput point, and an input point directly affects an output point if theadjustment to that input point results in a change to that output pointwithout a change to any intervening input or output points. Further,some input points may affect one (e.g. a single) output point, and someinput points may affect more than one (e.g., multiple) output points.The value for an input or output point can be, or correspond to, forinstance, a numerical value, a mode, a position, or an alarm, amongother values.

As an example, an output point of controller 102 may be the point of aparticular VAV damper of the HVAC system that is controlled bycontroller 102, and the value of that output point corresponds towhether that VAV damper is in a closed or open position. The inputpoints of controller 102 that affect that output point (e.g., thataffect whether the VAV damper is closed or open) can include theoccupancy mode point for the zone of the HVAC system in which that VAVdamper is located, the control mode point for the zone of the HVACsystem in which that VAV damper is located, the point (e.g. position) ofthe supply air damper for that VAV damper, and the point (e.g. status)of the AHU fan for that VAV damper.

Further, the control logic associated with controller 102 may also beinter-connected across the other controllers of the HVAC system. Forexample, the input points of controller 102 may include an input pointthat is shared with an additional controller of the HVAC system, and/orthe output points of controller 102 may include an output point that isshared with an additional controller, which may or may not be the samecontroller(s) with which the input point is shared. In such an example,the logical mapping between the input and output points of controller102 can include a logical mapping for these shared input and/or outputpoints. An example of such a logical mapping will be further describedherein (e.g., in connection with FIG. 2).

In an embodiment, commissioning device 104 can send (e.g., push) thecontrol logic associated with controller 102 (e.g., the logical mappingbetween the input points and output points of the controller) tocomputing device 108 via network 106 (e.g., computing device 108 canreceive the control logic from commissioning device 104 via network106), as illustrated in FIG. 1. Commissioning device 104 may also sendadditional project information associated with the commissioning of theHVAC system, such as, for instance, controller information, plantinformation, point information (e.g., point sharing and/or point roleinformation), control strategy information, equipment information,air/water supply relationship information, and/or facility information,to computing device 108 via network 106. In an embodiment, the controllogic associated with controller 102, and/or the additional projectinformation associated with the commissioning of the HVAC system, may besent to computing device 108 (via network 106) from controller 102(e.g., instead of from commissioning device 104).

Computing device 108 can determine a cause of a fault occurring in theHVAC system based, at least in part, on the data collected by controller102 (e.g., the real-time operational data associated with the HVACsystem) and the control logic associated with controller 102 (e.g., thelogical mapping between the input and output points of the controller).In an embodiment, computing device 108 may also determine the case ofthe fault based on the additional project information associated withthe commissioning of the HVAC system.

As used herein, a fault in the HVAC system can include and/or refer to acomponent of the HVAC system functioning improperly and/or causingabnormal behavior in the HVAC system and/or facility, and/or to an eventthat occurs to cause the component to function improperly or cause theabnormal behavior. For example, a fault in the HVAC system can includeand/or refer to a component of the HVAC system breaking down,malfunctioning, ceasing to operate correctly, or operating in anunexpected manner. As an additional example, a fault can include and/orrefer to abnormal (e.g., anomalous) behavior of the component.

As an example, computing device 108 can determine the cause of a faultoccurring in the HVAC system by sequentially determining (e.g.,checking) whether each respective output point, and the input pointsthat affect each respective output point, are different from what wouldbe expected. These sequential determinations can be made using the datacollected by controller 102 and the control logic associated withcontroller 102.

For instance, computing device 108 can determine, based on the real-timeoperational data associated with the HVAC system, whether the value(e.g., the present value) of one of the output points of controller 102is different from the expected value for that output point (e.g., thevalue that output point would be expected to be at). Upon determiningthat the value of that output point is different from its expectedvalue, computing device 108 can determine which of the input points ofcontroller 102 affect that output point based on the control logicassociated with the controller, and then determine whether the value ofany of these input points is different from their respective expectedvalue based on the real-time operational data associated with the HVACsystem. These input points can include input points that directly affectthat output point, and input points that indirectly affect that outputpoint, as previously described herein.

Computing device 108 can then determine the cause of the fault occurringin the HVAC system based on whether the value of any of these inputpoints is different from their respective expected value. For instance,upon determining that the value of any of these input points isdifferent from their respective expected value, computing device 108 candetermine which input point (or points) has a value different from itsrespective expected value, and determine the cause of the fault based onthis determination.

Upon determining that the value of the first output point is notdifferent from its expected value, computing device 108 can thendetermine whether the value of another (e.g., a different) one of theoutput points of controller 102 is different from its expected value.Upon determining that the value of this output point is different fromits expected value, computing device 108 can determine which of theinput points of controller 102 affect this output point based on thecontrol logic associated with the controller, and then determine whetherthe value of any of these input points is different from theirrespective expected value based on the real-time operational dataassociated with the HVAC system. Computing device 108 can then determinethe cause of the fault occurring in the HVAC system based on whether thevalue of any of these input points is different from their respectiveexpected value, in a manner analogous to that described for the firstoutput point.

If the value of this second output point is not different from itsexpected value, computing device 108 can continue to repeat this processfor each remaining output point, until all its respective output andinput points have been checked.

Once the cause of the fault occurring in the HVAC system has beendetermined, computing device 108 can provide the cause of the fault to auser (e.g., a technician or operator of the HVAC system), and/or cancorrect (e.g., take action to correct) the cause of the fault. Forexample, in an embodiment, computing device 108 can display the cause ofthe fault to the user on a user interface of the computing device. As anadditional example, in an embodiment, computing device 108 can send(e.g., transmit) the cause of the fault to a mobile device (e.g., smartphone, tablet, etc.) of the user, and the cause of the fault can bedisplayed to the user on the user interface of the mobile device.Further, in an embodiment, computing device 108 can determine, andprovide in the display along with the cause of the fault, arecommendation on how to correct the cause of the fault in the mostoptimized (e.g., cheapest and/or quickest) way possible. Examples ofsuch displays will be further described herein (e.g., in connection withFIGS. 3A-3C).

Computing device 108 may then receive input for correcting (e.g.,instructions on how to correct) the cause of the fault from the user,and correct the cause of the fault responsive to receiving the input.For instance, computing device 108 may receive the input directly fromthe user (e.g., the user may enter the input into the user interface ofthe computing device), or may receive the input from mobile device 110via network 106 (e.g., the user may enter the input into mobile device110, which may then transmit the input to computing device 108 vianetwork 106). As an additional example, in an embodiment, computingdevice 108 may automatically (e.g., without receiving any user input)correct the cause of the fault.

Computing device 108 can correct the cause of the fault by adjusting aninput point of controller 102 to the expected value for that inputpoint. For example, computing device 108 can correct the cause of thefault by adjusting the value of the input point (or points) determinedto have a value different from their expected value to their respectiveexpected value.

Upon correcting the cause of the fault (e.g., upon adjusting the inputpoint(s) to their expected value), computing device 108 can determinewhether the value of the output point of controller 102 affected by theadjusted input point(s) is different from the expected value for thatoutput point (e.g., to confirm that the output point matches itsexpected value after its input point(s) has been adjusted). If the valueof the output point of controller 102 affected by the adjusted inputpoint(s) is different from its expected value, the cause of the faultmay not have actually been corrected, and the sequential checkingprocess described above can be repeated.

As an example, an occupant of the facility may report (e.g., to anoperator or technician of the HVAC system) that it is too hot on thesecond floor of the facility. The possible reasons for this fault couldinclude, for instance, a faulty room temperature sensor, the timeschedule for the floor being in unoccupied mode, a controller for thefloor being in heating mode (e.g., instead of cooling mode), a supplyair damper being closed, an AHU not running, an airflow set point notbeing set correctly, and/or a VAV fan being off, among others.

Based on the physical location (e.g., the second floor) of the occupantreporting the fault (e.g., the floor being too hot), computing device108 may retrieve the data collected by the controller for the secondfloor of the facility, the control logic associated with thatcontroller, and the additional project information associated with thecommissioning of the HVAC system. Computing device 108 can thendetermine the reason why the floor is too hot by sequentially checkingthe input and output points of the controller using this information, aspreviously described herein.

For instance, the sequential check may indicate that the VAV damper forthe second floor is in a closed position when it would be expected to beopen, and that the input points that affect this output point (e.g.,that affect the position of the VAV damper) are the occupancy mode forthe floor, the control mode of the controller for the floor, theposition of the supply air damper for the VAV damper of the floor, andthe status of the AHU fan for the VAV damper of the floor. Thesequential check can then determine whether each of these input pointsare at their expected values. For instance, if someone accidently leftthe supply air damper in manual mode, the sequential check can determinethat the supply air damper is in manual mode when it would be expectedto be in auto mode, and that this is the cause of the floor being toohot. In such an example, computing device 108 can then correct the causeof the fault by setting the supply air damper to auto mode.

Continuing with the example, if the AHU that supplies air to the secondfloor VAV damper is located on a different floor of the facility, thesupply information included in the additional project information mayindicate which AHU is supplying the air to the second floor VAV damper,and the facility information included in the additional projectinformation may indicate the physical location of that AHU. Thesequential check of the input and output points described above can thenbe used to determine the cause of the second floor being too hot, eventhough the root cause of that fault is at a different location in thefacility.

In an embodiment, computing device 108 can predict that a fault willoccur in the HVAC system based, at least in part, on the data collectedby controller 102 (e.g., the real-time operational data associated withthe HVAC system), the control logic associated with controller 102(e.g., the logical mapping between the input and output points of thecontroller), and/or the additional project information associated withthe commissioning of the HVAC system. For example, computing device 108can predict that the fault will occur by sequentially determining (e.g.,checking) whether each respective output point, and the input pointsthat affect each respective output point, are different from what wouldbe expected, in a manner analogous to that used to determine faults inthe HVAC system that are currently occurring. Further, computing device108 can provide a notification of the predicted fault to a user, in amanner analogous to that used to provide a notification of a currentlyoccurring fault, so that the fault may be corrected (e.g., prevented)before it actually occurs.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a logical mapping 221 between inputpoints (e.g., 222-1, 222-2, 222-3, 222-4, and 222-5) and an output point(e.g., 224) of a controller in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure. For example, the logical mapping 221 can be includedin control logic (e.g., 220-1 and 220-2) associated with the controller.The controller can be, for example, a controller of an HVAC system, suchas controller 102 previously described in connection with FIG. 1, andthe input points 222 and output point 224 can be analogous to the inputpoints and output points of controller 102 previously described inconnection with FIG. 1. Although four input points and one output pointare shown in the example illustrated in FIG. 2, embodiments of thepresent disclosure are not limited to a particular number of inputpoints or output points.

Logical mapping 221 can provide an indication (e.g. identify) which ofinput point or points 222-1, 222-2, 222-3, 222-4, and 222-5 affectoutput point 224. For instance, in the example illustrated in FIG. 2,logical mapping 221 may indicate that input points 222-4 and 222-5affect output point 224, such that an adjustment made to either of inputpoints 222-4 and 222-5 may result in a change to output point 224. Inthis example, input point 222-4 may directly affect output point 224,and input point 222-5 may indirectly affect output point 224.

Further, control logic 220-1 and 220-2 may be interconnected acrossother controllers of the HVAC system. For instance, in the exampleillustrated in FIG. 2, there may be three additional input points andthree additional output points (not shown in FIG. 2) that are sharedwith an additional controller or controllers of the HVAC system. Logicalmapping 221 can include the mapping for these shared input and outputpoints, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C illustrate example screen shots 332, 334, and 336,respectively, displayed (e.g., to a user) during the process ofdetermining a cause of a fault in an HVAC system in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure. The screen shots may be displayed,for example, on a user interface of computing device 108 and/or mobiledevice 110 previously described in connection with FIG. 1. For instance,the screen shots may be displayed sequentially (e.g., one at a time)during the process of determining the cause of the fault (e.g., screenshot 332 may be displayed first, screen shot 334 may be displayed nextafter screen shot 332, and screen shot 336 may be displayed last afterscreen shot 334).

Screen shot 332 illustrated in FIG. 3A provides an indication to theuser that an occupant of the facility has reported a fault (e.g., thatit is too hot on the second floor of the facility). For instance, screenshot 332 includes (e.g., displays) the reported fault (e.g. issue), theperson who has reported the fault (e.g., Tom), and the time and locationof the reported fault (e.g., second floor, east wing at 10:00 AM on Jan.24, 2017), as illustrated in FIG. 3A.

Screen shot 334 illustrated in FIG. 3B provides the cause of the faultto the user. For instance, screen shot 334 includes the determined causeof the fault (e.g., the AHU for that floor is not running), along with alist of other possible causes (e.g., airflow sensor, occupancy mode, andsupply air damper) that have been sequentially checked and determined tonot be the cause of the fault.

Screen shot 336 illustrated in FIG. 3C provides a recommendation to theuser of how to correct the fault. For instance, FIG. 3C includes arecommendation that the fault can be corrected by changing theoperational mode of the AHU from manual to auto, and provides anindication to the user of how this can be accomplished (e.g., byrelinquishing the indicated icon in the display).

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a computing device 408 for determiningthe cause of a fault in an HVAC system in accordance with an embodimentof the present disclosure. Computing device 408 can be, for example,computing device 108 previously described in connection with FIG. 1, andcan be a laptop computer, a desktop computer, or a mobile device (e.g.,smart phone, tablet, PDA, etc.), for instance. However, embodiments ofthe present disclosure are not limited to a particular type of computingdevice.

As shown in FIG. 4, computing device 408 can include a memory 442 and aprocessor 444. Memory 442 can be any type of storage medium that can beaccessed by processor 444 to perform various examples of the presentdisclosure. For example, memory 442 can be a non-transitory computerreadable medium having computer readable instructions (e.g., computerprogram instructions) stored thereon that are executable by processor444 to determine the cause of a fault in an HVAC system in accordancewith the present disclosure. That is, processor 444 can execute theexecutable instructions stored in memory 442 to determine the cause of afault in an HVAC system in accordance with the present disclosure.

Memory 442 can be volatile or nonvolatile memory. Memory 442 can also beremovable (e.g., portable) memory, or non-removable (e.g., internal)memory. For example, memory 442 can be random access memory (RAM) (e.g.,dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and/or phase change random accessmemory (PCRAM)), read-only memory (ROM) (e.g., electrically erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EEPROM) and/or compact-disk read-onlymemory (CD-ROM)), flash memory, a laser disk, a digital versatile disk(DVD) or other optical disk storage, and/or a magnetic medium such asmagnetic cassettes, tapes, or disks, among other types of memory.

Further, although memory 442 is illustrated as being located incomputing device 408, embodiments of the present disclosure are not solimited. For example, memory 442 can also be located internal to anothercomputing resource (e.g., enabling computer readable instructions to bedownloaded over the Internet or another wired or wireless connection).

As shown in FIG. 4, computing device 408 can include a user interface446. A user (e.g., operator) of computing device 460, such as, forinstance, an operator and/or technician of an HVAC system, can interactwith computing device 408 via user interface 446. For example, userinterface 446 can provide (e.g., display) information to, and receiveinformation from (e.g., input by), the user of computing device 408.

In an embodiment, user interface 446 can be a graphical user interface(GUI) that can include a display (e.g., a screen) that can provideand/or receive information to and/or from the user of computing device408. The display can be, for instance, a touch-screen (e.g., the GUI caninclude touch-screen capabilities). As an additional example, userinterface 446 can include a keyboard and/or mouse the user can use toinput information into computing device 408. Embodiments of the presentdisclosure, however, are not limited to a particular type(s) of userinterface.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that anyarrangement calculated to achieve the same techniques can be substitutedfor the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to coverany and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments of thedisclosure.

It is to be understood that the above description has been made in anillustrative fashion, and not a restrictive one. Combination of theabove embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically describedherein will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing theabove description.

The scope of the various embodiments of the disclosure includes anyother applications in which the above structures and methods are used.Therefore, the scope of various embodiments of the disclosure should bedetermined with reference to the appended claims, along with the fullrange of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features are groupedtogether in example embodiments illustrated in the figures for thepurpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is notto be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the embodiments of thedisclosure require more features than are expressly recited in eachclaim.

Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter liesin less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, thefollowing claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description,with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.

1. (canceled)
 2. A computing device for determining a cause of a faultin a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system,comprising: a memory; and a processor configured to execute executableinstructions stored in the memory to: receive operational dataassociated with an HVAC system; receive control logic associated with acontroller of the HVAC system, the controller including one or moreinput points and one or more output points, and wherein the receivedcontrol logic associated with the controller provides an indication ofwhich input point or input points of the controller affect eachrespective output point of the controller; predict a fault will occur inthe HVAC system based, at least in part, on the operational dataassociated with the HVAC system and the control logic associated withthe controller of the HVAC system; and provide a notification of thepredicted fault so that a user is given an opportunity to address thepredicted fault before the predicted fault actually occurs.
 3. Thecomputing device of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured toexecute executable instructions stored in the memory to correct a causeof the predicted fault.
 4. The computing device of claim 2, wherein theprocessor is configured to execute executable instructions stored in thememory to correct a cause of the predicted fault in response to a userinput.
 5. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the notification ofthe predicted fault is displayed on a display.
 6. The computing deviceof claim 2, wherein the notification of the predicted fault is displayedon a display of a mobile device.
 7. The computing device of claim 2,wherein the processor is configured to execute executable instructionsstored in the memory to determine a cause of the predicted fault, andprovide a notification of the determined cause of the predicted fault.8. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the determined cause of thepredicted fault is a root cause of the predicted fault.
 9. The computingdevice of claim 7, wherein the notification of the determined cause ofthe predicted fault includes a listing of other possible causes of thefault that were checked and determined to not be the cause of the fault.10. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the processor is configuredto execute executable instructions stored in the memory to provide arecommendation on how to correct a cause of the predicted fault.
 11. Thecomputing device of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured toexecute executable instructions stored in the memory to: predict thatthe fault will occur in the HVAC system by sequentially checking one ormore input points and one or more output points of the controller usingthe operational data associated with the HVAC system and the controllogic associated with the controller of the HVAC system.
 12. A methodfor determining a cause of a fault in a heating, ventilation, and airconditioning (HVAC) system, the method comprising: receiving, by acomputing device, operational data associated with an HVAC system;receiving, by the computing device, control logic associated with one ormore input points and one or more output points of a controller of theHVAC system, wherein the control logic provides an indication of whichinput point or input points of the controller affect each respectiveoutput point of the controller; predicting, by the computing device,that a fault will occur in the HVAC system based, at least in part, onthe operational data associated with the HVAC system and the controllogic associated with the controller of the HVAC system; determining acause of the predicted fault; and correcting the cause of the predictedfault.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the cause of the predictedfault is corrected before the predicted fault actually occurs.
 14. Themethod of claim 12, wherein cause of the predicted fault is corrected bythe computing device.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein cause of thepredicted fault is corrected with the aid of the computing device. 16.The method of claim 12, further comprising provide a notification of thedetermined cause of the predicted fault.
 17. The method of claim 12,wherein predicting, by the computing device, that the fault will occurin the HVAC system comprises sequentially checking one or more inputpoints and one or more output points of the controller using theoperational data associated with the HVAC system and the control logicassociated with the controller of the HVAC system.
 18. A non-transitorycomputer readable medium having computer readable instructions storedthereon that are executable by a processor to: receive operational dataassociated with an HVAC system; receive control logic associated with acontroller of the HVAC system, the controller including one or moreinput points and one or more output points, and wherein the receivedcontrol logic associated with the controller provides an indication ofwhich input point or input points of the controller affect eachrespective output point of the controller; predict a fault will occur inthe HVAC system based, at least in part, on the operational dataassociated with the HVAC system and the control logic associated withthe controller of the HVAC system; and provide a notification of thepredicted fault so that the predicted fault can be addressed before thepredicted fault actually occurs.
 19. The non-transitory computerreadable medium of claim 18, wherein predicting that the fault willoccur in the HVAC system comprises sequentially checking one or moreinput points and one or more output points of the controller using theoperational data associated with the HVAC system and the control logicassociated with the controller of the HVAC system.
 20. Thenon-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein theinstructions are executable by the processor to: determine a cause ofthe predicted fault, and provide a notification of the determined causeof the predicted fault; and provide a recommendation on how to correctthe cause of the predicted fault.
 21. The non-transitory computerreadable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions executable by theprocessor are further configured to correct the predicted fault.